PORT TOWNSEND — A movement to end the $5 daily parking fee at Washington state parks took on new momentum Monday when the Port Townsend City Council unanimously passed a resolution.
Acting on a recommendation from the city’s Community Development & Land Use Committee, the council approved a petition to the state “to end the failed experiment in parking fees at all Washington State Parks and fund parks and park maintenance through regular legislative budget and appropriations processes.”
“Things are looking ahead. It’s moving quite positively,” said Nora Porter, a county Democratic political activist who last month successfully ushered the same resolution through the Jefferson County board of commissioners, who also unanimously approved it.
The same resolution also was unanimously approved Monday by the Forks City Council on the North Olympic Peninsula’s West End.
Porter said Forks officials are passing the same recommendation along to Clallam County commissioners.
Legislators lobbied
Porter said she recently lobbied the governor’s office and state lawmakers to help legislate an end to state park parking fees.
Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, and Rep. Jim Buck, R-Joyce, have both spoken out against the $5 daily fees that are blamed for a decline in park attendance, and tourism, in both counties.
Kessler and Buck’s 24th legislative districts include Jefferson and Clallam counties, and parts of Grays Harbor County.
To keep parking free at Fort Worden State Park, the city of Port Townsend has contributed about $51,000 in 2 percent lodging tax funds.
Jefferson County commissioners have contributed $25,000.
As a consequence of local governments subsidizing Fort Worden parking, it is just one of two parks statewide that have not seen attendance decline.
